The present invention relates to hotel entertainment systems and, in particular, to a system for enabling video games to be played in each room of a hotel without the need to provide individual video game generators in each room.
In recent years, the use of hotel entertainment systems to provide in-room entertainment and services has become increasingly widespread. Such entertainment systems often include the provision of free television programming and pay-per-view movies. Such systems also often allow the guest to order hotel services such as laundry services and room service, and can provide alternative check-out services. A further potential use for such hotel entertainment systems is the provision of in-room video games.
In-room video games are currently provided through the use of conventional video game generators which are rented from the hotel and connected to the television provided in the room of a guest. This method of providing video games, while currently popular, results in severe wear and tear on the video game generators due to their frequent use and occasional abuse. Further, the renting of a video game generator is inconvenient for a hotel guest who wishes to play for a short period of time but does not wish to make a trek to the front desk of the hotel to rent the game generator.
An alternative method of providing in-room video games is to place a video game generator in each room of the hotel. However, this solution can be expensive and does not solve the problems of theft and wear and tear on the video game generators. Further, a difficulty arises in charging a guest for the use of the video game generator. Either an additional metering device must be installed with the game generator in each room of the hotel or the video games must be offered to the guests free of charge.
It is therefore desirable to find a way in which to enable video games to be played in each room of a hotel which is not prohibitively expensive, minimizes the wear and tear on the equipment used to provide the games and enables a user of the video games to be easily and accurately billed. It would also be desirable for the video games to be able to be provided upon the demand of the user.